Brill Hunting Lodge

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Brehull

In the civil parish of Brill. In the historic county of Buckinghamshire (Modern Authority of Buckinghamshire, 1974 county of Buckinghamshire).

Earthwork comprising bank and ditch lie north of the church. A hunting lodge which Edward the Confessor had at Brill and which remained in royal hands until 1337 has been suggested, and pottery identified as Iron Age or Saxon has been found. Alternatively a Civil War date for the earthwork has been suggested. "The manor was part of the ancient demesnes of the crown, and it is said with much apparent probability, that the Saxon kings had a palace here, which was a favourite residence of King Edward the confessor. It is certain that our monarchs had a palace at Brill for some time after the conquest: King Henry II. kept his court there in 1160, attended by Thomas a Becket as his chancellor; he was there again with his court in 1162. King John, in 1203, gave the manor of Brill to his chaplain, Walter Borstard, appointing him keeper of the royal palace there. Recorded as a royal hunting lodge in 1217. King Henry III. kept his court at Brill in 1224: Hugh de Neville had livery of the manor in 1226. In 1233, Brill appears to have been the property of Richard, Earl of Cornwall, for we are told by Matthew Paris, that his lands and houses there were at that time laid waste by Richard Sward and other exiles. In 1346, the manor of Brill was granted to Sir John Molins" (Lyson and Lyson)
Bucks SMR record 0010603000 suggests this as a possible motte. Given the history of the site it would be entirely possibly that the site was fortified and would have other symbols of dominion such as a motte.

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is SP656139

Air Photo from Air Photo and general mapping	1st edition OS Map from Mid to late 19th century maps
Modern Map from Landscape form and features	Modern Map from General location and route planning
Geograph British Isles occasionally has photos of the site and will usually give an idea of the surrounding landscape.

Sources of information, references and further reading

This site's English Heritage (PastScape) Defra or Monument number is 340949
This site's County Historic Environment Record (formerly Sites and Monuments Record) number is 0231000000; 0010600000 'grey' literature, such as watching brief reports, held by H.E.R.s is often poorly referenced and is unlikely to be recorded in this website.

• Web site links
  • http://ubp.buckscc.gov.uk/ThemeDetails.aspx?UID=MBC6703
    http://ubp.buckscc.gov.uk/ResultsDetails.aspx?uid=MBC371
• Books
  • Bateson, F.W., 1966, Brill, A Short History p11-12
    Colvin, H.M., Brown, R.Allen and Taylor, A.J., 1963, The history of the King's Works Vol2: the Middle Ages (London: HMSO) p902-3
    Page, Wm (ed), 1927, VCH Buckinghamshire Vol4 p18 http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=62523
    RCHME, 1912, An inventory of the historical monuments in Buckinghamshire Vol1 [south] p67 http://www.archive.org/details/inventoryofhisto01greauoft
    Lysons S. and Lysons D.,1806, Magna Britannia: Buckinghamshire
• Journal Articles
  • Farley, Michael, 1989, 'An Iron Age Hillfort at Brill?' Records of Buckinghamshire Vol31 p27-32
    Fowler, G.H., 1926, 'Extents of the the Royal Manors of Aylesbury and Brill' Records of Buckinghamshire Vol11 p401-5
• Primary (Medieval documents or transcriptions of such documents - This section is far from complete and the secondary sources should be consulted for full references.)
  • Calendar of Patent Rolls (1217-25) p124-5